Attack on Autobot City
Log Title: Attack on Autobot City Characters: * Acid Storm * Banshee * Darkwing * Dreadwind * Dust Devil * Knightmare * Metroplex * Scourge *Seeker Squad *Shockwave *Typhoon * Windblade Location: Luftwaffecon HQ, Cybertron; Southwest United States, Earth Date: December 18, 2017 TP: Kill All Humans Summary: The Decepticons launch an attack on Autobot City. Category:2017 Category:Kill All Humans TP Category:Logs As logged by Acid Storm - Monday, December 18, 2017, 7:06 PM ***Several hours ago, Luftwaffecon HQ*** :Banshee stands on a podium in front of the hangar, in front of the full force for today's mission. Thanks to the mural across the doors, flanked by fluttering red, white and purple flags, Lord Megatron glares balefully over her shoulders, several times actual size. It's still not -quite- as terrifying as the real thing, but it's close. "Today, ve strike at zer heart of zer Autobots." She says into the microphone, gesticulating vehemently. "Ve strike not just at ze city, to strike material damage, but we strike at their hearts! Ve are not just here to destroy, chentlemen, ve are here to utterly crush zem." A briefing screen folds down behind her, and she uses a riding crop to point out specific targets, where the Whitwicky family are likely to be. "These are zer primary targets. Force A are to come in over zer Utah desert from here and strike for Metroplex's transformation cog. Make as much noise as you can as soon as you hit zer Nevada border, ve vant them to know you are coming mit perhaps 10, 15 minutes' notice Somevun jack zer sound barrier down zer Las Vegas strip, ja? I haff a case of Milde Sorte Kobaltzigaretten for anyvun who does!" She chuckles, and then continues. :"Force B, led by myself, vill come in California unt hide here, in zer Grand Canyon about 2 minutes avay. Ven Force A reports contact vith zer Autobot forces, Force B vill begin ze attack. I haff been fitted mit ein wunderwaffe from Generalfeldmarschall Starscream… zer objectif of Force B vill be to allow me to make attack runs on the repair bay, command centre, and barracks, zer three most likely targets. If anysing prevents me from launching zer wunderwaffe against zese targets, you are to hit zem as hard as you can. As soon as zer strikes are completed, ve are to depart and disperse to prevent pursuit, returning here for debrief. Even if none of zer Vitvicky family fall during zis strike, ve vill show zem zat zey are not, in fact, safe. Ve know vere zey are, and ve can strike zem, even in zer heart of Autobot territory. They should know fear, because ve do not. Good luck out there, chentlemen. Heil megatron!" Banshee's little briefing ends with a salute. It is, for once, the standard Decepticon salute. ****Current time, the Nevada Desert.*** There's very little chance that the squadron has been detected yet. Not unless a farmer or prospector on the ground has called them in; Banshee is flying at an altitude of barely 100 feet, below treetop level in some cases, and scolding anyone who dares fly more than thirty feet above her. <<#Nieder, verdammt du!#>> She scolds into her radio. <<#Willst du, dass ich dem Führer Megatron sage, dass der Streik wegen dir geschrubbt werden muss? ICH SAGTE FLIEGEN NIEDRIGER!#>> Helpfully, she's subtitled for the German-impaired. "Lower, damn you! Do you want me to tell Lord Megatron that the strike had to be scrubbed because of you? I SAID FLY LOWER!" The faster jets might have difficulty staying with Banshee right now; her engine is at full power; purple flickers of flame from the exhausts suggesting she's supplementing the normal energon power with gasoline to haul herself through the air even faster, and yet she's still only doing around 450mph. For a propellor plane, she's hauling ass, moving significantly faster than any JU-87 in history, but it's frustratingly slow to anyone who's used to jacking the sound barrier on a regular basis. After leading her team down into the great expanse of the Grand Canyon, letting it hide them further from any sensors on Autobot City, Banshee lands on an outcropping. As she transforms, she gets onto the comms. <<#Strike team, in position.#>> She radios. "Now ve vait." She adds verbally to her little squadron.. "Zer uzzer team shouldn't be very far avay. Ven zey give zer vord, ve move. Nobody crosses 30 metres above zer ground until ve are ready to strike." <> Fräulein Banshee says, "Nieder, verdammt du! Willst du, dass ich dem Führer Megatron sage, dass der Streik wegen dir geschrubbt werden muss? ICH SAGTE FLIEGEN NIEDRIGER!" <> Fräulein Banshee says, "Strike team, in position." <> Shockwave says, "Banshee, I am patched in and monitoring the systems integrity of your crew. Keep me appraised only when it will not compromise your mission. Lord Megatron no doubt eagerly awaits the good news." Nevada Desert - North America :Off the beaten path, one of the many Nevada deserts uninhabited by communities. It is a large stretch of land, miles and miles around. There is no build up here; no houses, no factories. In the center of it all, accessible only by a treaded dirt highway, well worn by constant travel, is a large metallic city. To the east of the city runs a river, grasses and trees thriving along its banks. To the west are mountainous rocks and canyons. Behind it are large open flats. This area is governmentally restricted to civilians, a fact enforced by the constant Autobot security patrols. <> Fräulein Banshee says, "Jawohl. Going quiet." Acid Storm leads a strike coming in from over the Utah Desert. He and his Seekers make a lot of noise, as instructed, letting the Autobots know they're coming from a long way out. Shockwave isn't actually here - physically, at least. Positioned in front of a console in Castle Decepticon on Cybertron, the one-eyed purple machine largely knows exactly what's going on anyway courtesy of multiple data streams. As Autobot guards rush outside to meet the incoming threat, Metroplex starts the long, complicated transformation process into his battlestation mode. Repair bays fold up and retract, and are replaced by turreted weapon emplacements manned by trained gunners. Red lights flash as soldiers man their stations, preparing to repel the attack. With this much warning, the Autobots are fully repaired to respond in force. Windblade runs out of Metroplex as he begins transforming, her own worries being eased by the connection with the Titan as she goes. As she exits, she ignites her energy swords, the energon blades crackling as she looks up into the sky, "Well... now I'm regretting not having guns in my alt-mode." The Seeker Squad fans out behind Acid Storm, moving quickly into attack position. As Metroplex slowly transforms, they accelerate. Together they launching a volley of missiles directly towards the center of the city's transformation, trying to take advantage of Metroplex's vulnerability before he can become a near-impenetrable battle station. Among the Seeker Squad, an F-16 jinks around the other fighter aircraft as a dark gray Panavia Tornado persistently attempts to intersect its flight path. Dreadwind groans, "Darkwing, my own little patch of the sky is unbearably miserable without your presence in it. Can't you go make someone else's airspace uglier?" Acid Storm leads the strike coming in from over the Utah Desert. Technically Dreadwind outranks him, but for SOME REASON they put Acid in charge instead. Acid and the other Seekers make a lot of noise, letting the Autobots know they're coming from a long way out. Acid's leadership style is calm and professional -- unlike many others, he avoids rather than seeks personal glory, relying on the results of his actions to speak for themselves. He's more than willing to let Banshee and Dreadwind get the credit for their impending success. <> Acid Storm says, "Moving in now. The strike has begun." Typhoon runs outside with a pistol in her right hand, scanning the heavens for the incoming assault. It's not hard to spot -- the squad of Seekers is led by a neon-green F-15 Eagle, after all, and together the force is making enough noise to wake the entire desert. Ty hops down as the ramp retracts, landing rather lightly on her feet for someone so heavily armored. <> Dreadwind says, "This will end in disaster, and we'll have no one to blame but ourselves." Metroplex is attacked mid-transformation -- even with the advanced warning, there's only so fast he can change forms. His guardians defend him while he's vulnerable -- Cog, Scamper, Six-Gun, and Slammer all pour on the firepower, targeting the incoming Seekers and attempting to take them down before they can damage Metroplex's transformation cog. As weapons lock into place, Metroplex joins in the defense, unleashing breathtaking levels of firepower on his own. <> Shockwave says, "Acknowledged, Acid Storm." <> Fräulein Banshee says, "Jawohl!" Windblade frowns, "This seems... wrong somehow." She leaps into the air, though, flying towards one of the Seekers flanking Acid Storm as she looks to try and slice a wing clear off of him. >> Windblade misses Seeker Squad with Slice. << Dreadwind has entered what Darkwing sometimes refers to as a target-rich environment. He spends a few moments contemplating the best course of action. There are lots of Autobots, and he has lots of weapons, but... honestly, what's the point? Even if it's the heat death of the universe, oblivion's going to claim them all sooner or later. :...buuuut orders are orders. With a heavy sigh, Dreadwind sights in on a bulky female Autobot. "You look like as good a target as any..." The underside of his wings glow a brilliant orange as his weapon pods unleash torrents of thermal energy at Typhoon. >> Dreadwind strikes Typhoon with Thermal Melters . << The Seeker Squad suddenly breaks formation as one of the crazy Autobots leaps into their midst and nearly cleaves a wing off poor Nameless Seeker Number 6. The attack makes their missiles go wild, impacting harmlessly on the hardened walls of the transforming city, leaving the cog intact. Nameless Seeker Number 6 breaks off from the others, banking around and firing his wing-lasers at Windblade before she can move out of range. >> Seeker Squad misses Windblade with Laser . << As Windblade interferes with the efficiency and focus of his team, Acid remains calm. He could scold and publically humiliate them, but to what end? A private word post-mission might have a more lasting effect. Instead, Acid dives down himself, avoiding incoming fire and attempting himself to burn past Metroplex's defenses and destroy his cog before it's too late. >> Acid Storm misses Metroplex with Hyperion-3 Blaster . << Typhoon ughs as she's hit by Dreadwind's weapon pods. The thermal attack melts the surface of her thick armor, and the pain nearly drives her to her knees. Struggling to remain on her feet, Typhoo shakily raises her pistol and fires back, hoping to knock Dreadwind out of the sky -- or at least damage one of those weapon pods. << We're under full attack, >> she radios the civilians inside. << Get to safety! >> >> Typhoon strikes Dreadwind with Pistol . << Before the Decepticons can destroy his cog, Metroplex completes his transformation into battle station mode. The weapons of Acid Storm and his Seekers burn and explode harmlessly on Metroplex's thick white walls, leaving scorch marks but little else. Having finished transforming, Metroplex returns the attack in earnest, firing his disruptors at the incoming Decepticons and trying to take them out one-by-one. >> Metroplex strikes Acid Storm with Disruptor Ray . << The Sweep Flagship charges forward to clear the way for Banshee to do her thing. Forming on his wing are his sweep minions, Sunder among them. As soon as he has any targets, lasers lance out from the recessed emitters in his hull. >> Scourge misses Metroplex with Laser . << Windblade narrowly dodges the attacks from the Seeker, and snaps her energy blades together, the blades turning off as instead it links to her forearm, a barrel extending out as they transform into a heavy laser. Narrowing her eyes, she draws a bead on Scourge, "Hey, pick on someone your own size!" >> Windblade strikes Scourge with Heavy Laser . << Dust Devil isn't exactly happy about having a huge battle going on. But He's going to do his part to protect the city. Even if that's playing Forcefield jockey while dashing along the upper tiers of Metroplex. In this case Scourge's attack is going to hit a particularly vulnerable portion of the city, he reaches a hand out and a forcefield shimmers in the sky, deflecting Scourge's blast. Windblade gets a potshot into the sweep which elicits a yell, "YEAH! Hit 'em again Windblade!" He himself sends out a volley at Scourge but paying more attention to where he can use his forcefield to help the city. That and not falling off the towers as he jumps back and forth. >> Dust Devil misses Scourge with Electro-Blaster . << Dreadwind's armor is punctured by the pistol shot, wisps of smoke trailing from the damage as he begins to bank around. The diagonatic systems in his head inform him that he's been damaged since he's incapable of feeling it. "Well, good to know some things never change, I suppose. Trying to chase me off." Engines rumbling like thunder, he brings Typhoon back into his sights, vulcan cannon spinning to life as he swoops in for a strafing run at the Weatherbot. >> Dreadwind strikes Typhoon with Ballistic . << As Dreadwind's machineguns open fire, Darkwing buzzes by, just a few feet above him, "That's the spirit, Dread!" With their leader hit, the Seeker Squad scatters. It takes several long embarrassing moments before they get their act together and coordinate for another run against the Autobot battlestation. A few of them radio, << I'm hit! >> and retreat -- some of them without evidence to back that up. The braver members actually form up and attack the city. >> Seeker Squad strikes Metroplex with Machine-Guns . << While the carnage is happening, there's a new, quiet sound. Quiet compared to the carnage outside Autobot City, at least. The low buzz of a propellor engine underlies the battlefield. #Teile und schlag sie!# she radios to Scourge and his Sweeps, ordering them to begin running interference for her. She stays low, unseen (she hopes) by sensors until the last moment, when she pops up to around a thousand feet. The Torpedo Ted bomb slung under her belly retracts into her fuselage, replaced by a vaguely disc-shaped device. The sirens on Banshee's wings whine loudly as she dives, pulling up at a few hundred feet. But that disc remains, slowing its drop a moment before it locks onto its target - Metroplex's repair bay - and... >> Banshee strikes Metroplex with Wunderwaffe . << ...latches onto it. Rapidly, the metal begins to glow, along with the air inside superheating. Any humans within would be rapidly cooked, and within moments it will begin troubling even Autobots! <> Fräulein Banshee says, "Vun avay!" During his dive attack on Metroplex, Acid Storm is nailed by a disruptor ray. He tries to pull up, but suddenly his systems fail to respond. As the while walls of Metroplex rush toward him, he sends what might be his last radio message. << Banshee, I'm hit. Good luck with the mission. Even if I don't make it back -- it was a good plan. >> With a mighty crash and secondary explosion, Acid impacts the wall. <> Acid Storm says, "Banshee, I'm hit. Good luck with the mission. Even if I don't make it back -- it was a good plan." Typhoon staggers backwards as she's raked with Dreadwind's Vulcan cannon. "Primusdamnit!" she curses, falling to one knee and lining up her pistol. "Knock it off!" Tuning out the rest of the battle, Typhoon focuses her sight on a single Decepticon and hopes to hit something vital. >> Typhoon misses Dreadwind with Laser . << <> Fräulein Banshee sounds jubilant "Ein Schlag! Ein Schlag! Es ist gut, ich sehe erheblichen Schaden!" Subtitles provide a translation: A hit! A hit! It's good, I am seeing significant damage! <> Fräulein Banshee says, "Ach! Acid storm! Pull up!" <> Shockwave says, "Excellent work, Banshee." Metroplex's reaction to Acid Storm's potential deadly plunge into his outer walls? Absolutely nothing, as he simply aims calmly at the next target, taking them out one by one. With Windblade providing aerial defense, and Dust Devil protecting his few exposed vital areas, Metroplex simply continues his attack -- until the mysterious disc impacts his armor and starts to burn through it. Suddenly the tone of the alerts throughout the city change from Red Alert to Evacuate. Scourge misses Metroplex, his blast deflected by Dust Devil's forcefield. Scourge yelps as Windblade's attack makes contact with his hull. Furious, the Sweep Leader transforms, attempting to catch Windblade in his talons. The Sweepcraft splits apart, wings unfurl, and the Sweep Leader emerges forth, in all his beardy, pink-clawed glory. >> Scourge strikes Windblade with Claw. << Windblade shrieks as she feels the pain and fear from Metroplex, not even noticing Scourge's attack until his claws rip into her arm. She then flies down towards the disc, sensing it's the source of the pain Metroplex is feeling. She then fires at the disc with her laser, trying to destroy it so it stops whatever it's doing to her City. Dust Devil isn't sure who to attack and where to protect with all the movement until Windblade calls out. He suddenly turns in that direction and takes careful aim on the Con attacking the city speaker. His optics narrow and the glow of his turrets herald the plasma weapons that Dust Devil normally favors, "That isn't how you take a Lady out Scourge." >> Dust Devil strikes Scourge with Plasma . << Knightmare has been orbiting the area watching the skirmish start up. And waits then waits even more. When it finally settles in that Megatron himself has not shown, the glowing highlights of the Dominicon pulse, growing brighter and brigher before suddenly returning to normal and the large Cybertronian twists and shifts as she assumes her robot form to simply /drops/ from her high altitude into the middle of the battle... with a wave of mini-missiles flaring out from their launchers on her as she passes through the Seeker Squad just as they are reforming and launched their own attack upon Metroplex, and landing in a what humans might call a 'superhero landing'. Her low, cold voice echoes from behind her visor, her optics glowing brightly, "So the weakling sends his minions instead of showing himself when he is challenged? He truly has fallen even far and proves his unworthiness to lead." Her mace starts to spark as she stands to her full height, her scanning for a worthy challenge.. not even bothering to glance at the Autobots, and giving what seems a almost dismissive sigh as she looks over the 'cons that are there before she starts to stalk her way towards Scourge.. and very much giving off the impression she is not very worried about the fact she is in the middle of a battle as she /tries/ to find something to hit, leaving herself wide open to whoever wishes to take a potshot at the Dominicon leader. >> Knightmare strikes Seeker Squad with Mini-Missiles . << The squad of Seekers continue their disorganized assault -- some continuing their direct attack on Metroplex, some moving to escort Banshee, and a couple even transforming and landing to help Acid Storm. Just as they seem to start getting together, a new arrival literally drops into their midst with a volley of mini-missiles. Seekers drop left and right as the missiles target engines and flight systems. A few loop around to counter-attack, while whispers pass between them like chain lightning. Is that Illarion? Here? On Earth? A few break off and flee at the mere sight of her. The rest press forward for an attack. >> Seeker Squad misses Knightmare with Seeker-Lasers . << <> Fräulein Banshee with actual venom in her tone. "VERRÄTER!" Banshee's tailgunner watches the device start cooking Metroplex's medical bay. It's all done and over in a few seconds, even before Windblade's shots slam home... but in that time, the damage is done. She's about to come in for another run when Knightmare makes her entrance. The Stukacon snarls, her tone dripping with venom. "VERRÄTER!" She peels off from her attack run to instead come around on Knightmare, incentiary rockets whistling off her racks as she unleashes her rage on the traitor. When she was just keeping herself to herself, Banshee was fine with the ex-Con. But now Knightmare is opposing HER mission. And that is just unacceptable. >> Banshee strikes Knightmare with R4M Rocket. << Typhoon fires at Dreadwind until she's distracted by another, larger and more deadly-seeming arrival. What is it? "Another Seeker just dropped in, and is attacking the others. I'm not sure who or what it is, but I'm taking it out before it can turn its attack on us!" Switching to her little-used wrist-mounted machine guns, she joins in the pile-on against the unloved Dominicon. >> Typhoon misses Knightmare with Ballistic . << <> Shockwave says, "Banshee, report." <> Fräulein Banshee says, "Zer traitor, Knightmare." Whatever is happening with Metroplex, it's not good. Guns near the repair bay suddenly power down, as if dying from the inside. Firedoors slam shut and forecefields pop up, trying to contain the internal damage as much as possible. The remaining weaponry focuses on Banshee. Even if no one else does, Metroplex listens to the Cityspeaker -- especially in matters of his own self-preservation. >> Metroplex strikes Banshee with Laser Batteries . << <> Shockwave says, "Acknowledged. Do not let her distract from your mission; her power is significant enough to derail your plans." <> Fräulein Banshee says, "I haff already made vun strike against Metroplex' medical bay. Zer point is already made... zer rest is just underlining it. Breaking off from Knightmare." Scourge snarls as after he takes a chunk out of Windblade's arm, another attacker seeks to foil him. He wheels, to face the one who pot shotted him. He goes after Dust Devil, claws and fangs bared. >> Scourge strikes Dust Devil with Bite. << <> Shockwave says, "Acknowledged. To all Decepticon forces, exercise caution and do not enter an unwinnable fight. Logistical support is limited so close to Metroplex." At Windblade's attack, the disc is destroyed -- but it's too late. The damage is done. A hole is burned through clear down to the repair bay, and what can be seen is burned to a crisp. It's hard to believe anything in there could remain alive. Windblade spots Banshee, thanks to the link with Metroplex as she shouts onto the coms, << SPIKE! ARE YOU OKAY?!? >> There's a quick TSCHE-CHE-CHE-CHE as she transforms into her jet mode, having gotten a few upgrades since... well, she's on Earth now, and in the war. Much as she hates the use of blasters and such, she needs the lasers as she draws a steady bead on Banshee, firing what she can at the Decepticon while Banshee is distracted. >> Windblade strikes Banshee with Laser . << Dust Devil yelps as scourge suddenly comes after him. He was turning to go after Banshee when he suddenly got himself entangled with Scourge "Oh hell no...Ya better not be carryin any diseases ya mangy freakshow of a con!" He can't do anything about Banshee, but he can keep Scourge busy. He grapples with the Sweep and his turbines start spinning internally resulting in a rather intense sound that seems to just travel through Dust Devil and hopefully the con. >> Dust Devil strikes Scourge with Sonic Blast . << Knightmare 's movements do not slow or alter her course as she walks through the battlefield, many of the attacks splash off her shield or simply dont seem to do much to her armoured hide. She does pause as Typhoon's attack dances around her and frowns as she glances over at the Autobot that ended up rather close to her. She turns and walks the short distance over to Typhoon and raises her hand up... but instead of striking out with her mace she just pats the smaller Bot on the head, "Perhaps you should go back to the firing range and leave battles to your elders." With that she turns back and takes only a few steps before she rocks just a bit as Banshee's rocket digs a small grove along her shoulder and sighs, her optics drifting to the hit then to her, "I gave you a pass the last time we meet.. try that again, and I'll remind you why even Megatron fell to me. Now go away and take another nap while I see if I can find a proper challenge." She resumes her hunt for a worth fight but so far.. nothing has some itself to be of interest. Two Seekers carry Acid Storm to safety, while the remaining follow Banshee's lead and form up to attack Knightmare. Getting distracted from their mission (Does NO ONE listen to Shockwave?!), the Seekers instead fire their missiles at the Dominicon commander, seeking revenge for her treasonous actions and words. "For the empire!" one yells, and then feels embarrassed as the others fail to join in. >> Seeker Squad misses Knightmare with Missile. << Banshee completes her run on Knightmare and breaks off, pulling up and looping around even as Metroplex and Windblade pepper her with fire. She doesn't dive this time, instead simply flying low and fast towards Metroplex' main command centre, loosing off another one of those strange discs. Windblade, alerted by Metroplex, fires upon the disc as it surges away from her underside but misses - allowing the disc to sail away towards its target! >> Banshee misses Metroplex with Flash Pak . << Typhoon stares slack-jawed as the former Decepticon approaches her and... pats her on the head and mildly insults her? Typhoon looks around, confused. As Banshee makes another attack run on Metroplex, however, Typhoon refocuses, and fires desperately at the small disc that apparently has the power to destroy entire internal sectors of the city. She curses as she misses, tensing for another blast of lethal damage... <> Fräulein Banshee says, "Two is away... looks to be a shootdown" Luckily for Metroplex's inhabitants, Autobot City's anti-missile systems are this time up for the task of defending the station. A barrage of fire destroys the second disc and successive fire tracks towards Banshee. Metroplex locks its rocket batteries on Banshee and unleashes a hellish volley intended to take the divebomber down before she can deal out any more destruction. >> Metroplex strikes Banshee with Rocket Batteries . << If there's one disadvantage to super hearing, it's any mech with a sonic attack. Scourge's audio receptors start giving him sensations of robo-tinnitus as he grasps the side of his head and howls in pain. Then when it passes, he slashes angrily at the source of his pain. Scourge claws at Dust Devil! >> Scourge strikes Dust Devil with Slash. << Windblade flies after Banshee, focusing her full attention on the bomber as she unleashes all the firepower she can. Since, well, the best way to keep Banshee from launching another disc at Metroplex would be to bring her down before she can fire, right? >> Windblade strikes Banshee with Laser . << Dust Devil yelps as the pink claws are apparently not just cosmetic. He realizes that Scourge isn't the best person to fight up close and personal. So focusing, his dark optics suddenly flash and he a forcefield pulses outwards eminating from the silvery blue bot. Unfortunately he's almost losing his balance while using this attack and his arms pinwheel a bit, trying to regain a steady stance on Metroplex. >> Dust Devil critically strikes Scourge with Force Push ! << Knightmare stops her stroll through the battlefield, optics drifting up towards the Seeker Squad, "I know all of you... and I know none of you are worth wasting any true effort on. Go. Away." With that she turns and watches all the attacks at the Flash Paks then hmmmsss.. and simply raises her arm up, the barrel of her modified cannon deploys in a smooth motion and starts to glow as it points in Banshee's direction, even while she scans the battleground, "And who is the Verrater? One who follows their code.. or one who can't answer his own challenge? Oh.. and is that human term..." She pauses and thinks then ahs audibly before finishing, "Tell Shockwave to come out and play." And fires.. the blast sizzling towards Banshee's flying form without even bothering to ever look at the other Femme. >> Knightmare strikes Banshee with Null-Ray . << The Seeker Squad transform and fall back, none of them wanting to be the next to face Knightmare's wrath. As she strikes Banshee, however, they move as one. As much as they fear Knightmare, they respect Banshee more, and stay long enough to cover the mission commander before they flee. Metroplex's inhabitants now know they are not beyond the long reach of Megatron. So... mission accomplished? Banshee takes the hit from Windblade without noticing much, her tailgunner simply making rude gestures at her instead. THe hit from from Metroplex' rockets is a bit worse, however, knocking the Stukacon into a brief spin before she gets herself under control, just in time to take Knightmare's null-ray. She's not blasted out of the sky by this attack - but her aerodynamic surfaces become sluggish and jerky. It doesn't stop her trying to bring herself to bear on Metroplex's command centre and release the Flash_Pak. When the weapon is away Banshee pours on the power, overshooting her target and starting to blast out into the desert and make good her escape, regardless of whether it hits or not! >> Banshee strikes Metroplex with Flash Pak . << <> Fräulein Banshee says, "Mission complete, three away. Disperse and rendezvous." <> Hunter in the Night, Scourge says, "Acknowledged.\" Typhoon fires on the disc, but is too slow -- it gets away, and in moments the command center is destroyed. All command and communication with Metroplex is lost.... aside from one Cityspeaker. Metroplex's weapon systems power down as his command center is destroyed from within. For now, the city is crippled. Scourge is bounced off the forcefield and falls backwards! But then he gets notification that the mission is over, so he retreats. He'll chew on Dust Devil more later. "Sweeps, withdraw," he growls. Scourge's wings fold around him as he transforms to Sweepcraft mode, his headcannon still visible. >> Scourge retreats from the area, leaving himself open to Windblade. << Windblade yells again in pain as Metroplex is hit, then takes her anger out on Scourge, firing her lasers in a furious pattern as she feels the city's pain as if it is her own. >> Windblade strikes Scourge with Laser . << Dust Devil would probably be doing a better job of helping out if he hadn't been fighting scourge. And if he used a safety line. All the windmilling in the world doesn't help when the sweep blasts away and he's caught in the resulting airstream. He falls off the tower and failing a transformation, ends up saving himself with a forcefield below which he hits and knocks himself out for the moment. But at least he doesn't die. Knightmare watches the flash pak hit the city and shakes her head in pity at performance of the city's defenses and its so-called' City Speaker. She bounces her mace on her shoulder and gives one more look around before she simply walks away in a somewhat disappointed fashion. "The Sharkticons were more interesting then this." After she has moved a bit away from the main fighting, she jumps into the air and reverts to her heavy fighter form and flies away... still going at a fairly sedate pace, leaving her open for attacks from anyone brave enough. Knightmare transforms into her Cybertronian Heavy Assault Fighter. Typhoon watches Knightmare go, slowly catching on to who she is. "Was that Illarion?" she asks no one in particular, and then shakes her head. Not important now. Determined to help, she heads into the burning city.